Shen Zhen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Shen Zhen (沈蓁)
Alias(es)	Zhen Zhen, used by her mother’s close friend 187
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shen family; milk-tea shop established with Qiao Hua 183 282
Occupation/Role	Second female lead of the original novel; milk-tea shop co-owner; later employed at an unspecified workplace 172 183 288
Status	Alive; mother of Shen Tianyi; eventually together with You Xiaonian, though her reasons for accepting him remain ambiguous 303
First Appearance	Chapter 172 in the provided context

Background / History

Family and relationship with You Xiaonian

Shen Zhen’s parents have died. Her mother’s best friend served as her wet nurse, and the two maintained a bond described as being as close as mother and daughter 187.

She became involved with You Xiaonian because she needed money for her grandfather’s hospital bills. Although she initially regarded him as her benefactor, she gradually fell in love and hoped they might have a future together 173 192.

Their arrangement lasted two years. Shen eventually learned that her grandfather had died and accused You Xiaonian of concealing his death to keep her as his sexual partner. Believing she had fulfilled her obligations, she insisted that their relationship was over 174.

Reconciliation with Qiao Hua

Shen had been close to the original Qiao Hua before opposing her decision to marry Gu Wenze three years earlier. Her attempts to dissuade Qiao Hua failed, and the friends fell out 172.

After announcing her breakup with You Xiaonian at the hospital, Shen arrived at Qiao Hua’s home in the rain with a suitcase. She apologized for previously assuming that Qiao Hua wanted Gu Wenze’s money, acknowledging that her own financial desperation had made that judgment unfair. Qiao Hua accepted her apology and arranged for her to stay overnight 172 173.

First abduction and escape

With Qiao Hua’s help, Shen rented an apartment. You Xiaonian found her there, forced her into his car, and took her away. Qiao Hua discovered what had happened through residential security footage and confronted him at his home 174 176.

Gu Wenze joined the confrontation and demanded Shen’s release. Approaching police sirens compelled You Xiaonian to let her leave. Concerned that he would seize her again, Qiao Hua and Gu offered Shen refuge at their villa 177.

Shen decided that leaving the city was the only way to escape You Xiaonian’s interference. She agreed to accompany Qiao Hua, and the women departed together at night using a clandestine boat route 178 180 183.

Milk-tea shop and first pregnancy

After escaping, Shen urged Qiao Hua to continue her pregnancy and promised that they would raise the child together. The women prepared a milk-tea shop, which opened to strong business half a month later 182 183.

Shen then discovered that she was pregnant with You Xiaonian’s child. She underwent an abortion and recovered under Qiao Hua’s care, receiving daily homemade soups until her discharge half a month later. On returning to the shop, she began considering the possibility of a new romance 184 185.

A photography student’s popular Weibo post exposed the women’s whereabouts. Shen suggested leaving temporarily while employees ran the shop, and they stayed with her former wet nurse in a neighboring city. She concealed their circumstances by describing the visit as part of a business trip 185 186 187.

Recapture and second pregnancy

After the women returned, You Xiaonian intercepted Shen on her way to work and forcibly took her away. She maintained that they had broken up and told him she would escape again whenever she had the opportunity 188.

You Xiaonian subsequently learned about her abortion and confronted her angrily. Shen rejected his claim that they were still a couple, describing their original relationship as a paid arrangement rather than a genuine partnership 192.

Shen was later revealed to be pregnant again. During visits with Qiao Hua, she offered guarded assurances about her treatment but admitted that You Xiaonian feared she would run away. She had not decided whether to continue the pregnancy and withheld her own plans to avoid involving Qiao Hua 210 215.

Failed escape and depression

Shen escaped during a prenatal appointment after asking to use the restroom. She sought Qiao Hua at the Gu Group building and entrusted Xia Feiyan with a note containing her intended hiding place. Xia instead passed the information to You Xiaonian, enabling him to find Shen and bring her back 220 221 222 223.

Her confinement culminated in a suicide attempt. Acting on her knowledge of the original novel, Qiao Hua urgently persuaded You Xiaonian to have the household staff check on Shen. She was found injured and rushed into emergency surgery; both she and her unborn baby survived 262 263 264.

After waking, Shen remained withdrawn and said that You Xiaonian would not let her go. She asked Qiao Hua not to interfere, expressed a wish to die, and later harmed herself again. Gu Wenze confirmed that she had depression and urged You Xiaonian to prioritize her survival over keeping her confined 264 265 275 276.

Release and concealed pregnancy

You Xiaonian finally permitted Shen to leave, even after she said she would terminate the pregnancy. She moved into a nearby rental and rejected his offers of a house, car, and money, declaring that she wanted no further connection with him 277 282.

A doctor warned that termination at her stage of pregnancy carried significant risks. Shen did not undergo another abortion: she and Qiao Hua maintained the appearance of one so that You Xiaonian would believe the child was gone. Shen chose to keep the baby and raise it as a member of the Shen family 280 282.

She left by bus and later confirmed that she had reached a safe place. In her new surroundings, she found work and made friends with coworkers. You Xiaonian tracked her down despite promising to leave her alone, but she refused to engage with him 282 283 288.

Premature birth and later life

You Xiaonian eventually discovered the continuing pregnancy when he saw Shen shopping. His distress briefly stirred her sympathy, but she maintained that he had no right to blame her for concealing it 295.

More than a month before her due date, a man knocked Shen down on the street and fled, causing premature labor. You Xiaonian took her to the hospital in time. After Qiao Hua told him that the collision was deliberate, he tracked down the responsible man and brought him to Shen’s hospital room 296 297 298 299.

Shen’s son is named Shen Tianyi. Years later, she visited Qiao Hua after the birth of Gu Tiantian and introduced Tianyi to his godmother. By then, Shen and You Xiaonian had ended up together after his prolonged pursuit and a later rescue that nearly cost him his life and permanently impaired one leg. The narration leaves open whether Shen accepted him because of lingering love or a sense of obligation 303.

Appearance

• Beauty: After she returned to the milk-tea shop, young men regularly visited to give her attention 185.
• Declining health: During her renewed confinement, Qiao Hua noticed that Shen had become markedly thinner, with a sharp chin and pale face 210.
• Arm injuries: Repeated self-harm left fresh injuries over older wounds on her formerly smooth, fair arm 276.
• Later appearance: Years later, she looked largely unchanged, with added maturity and charm 303.

Personality

Shen is capable of admitting fault. When reconciling with Qiao Hua, she openly apologized for her earlier judgment and acknowledged the inconsistency between criticizing a supposed marriage for money and entering her own relationship from financial need 173.

Her friendship with Qiao Hua reveals a caring, practical side. She encourages Qiao Hua to protect her health, offers to raise her child alongside her, and remains concerned for her even while being abducted herself. When recovering, Shen regains enough humor to tease Qiao Hua about romance, motherhood, and the soups she insists on preparing 182 185 188 303.

Shen repeatedly asserts her independence despite fear and emotional attachment. She refuses to recognize You Xiaonian’s claimed authority over their breakup, rejects his material gifts, and establishes a new working life away from him. Her occasional sympathy for his suffering does not immediately translate into forgiveness 188 277 282 288 295.

Her withdrawal and resignation during confinement are associated with depression rather than simple defiance. You Xiaonian initially interprets her silence as resistance before recognizing that she is ill 275 276.

Abilities & Skills

Cooking

• Prepares food while Qiao Hua serves customers at their shop 183.
• Cooks an elaborate thank-you dinner that prompts Qiao Hua to praise her as talented enough to become a chef 282.

Shop Operations

• Helps establish and operate the milk-tea shop with Qiao Hua 183 185.
• Proposes leaving employees in charge while the owners temporarily hide, allowing the business to remain open 186.

Relationships

• Qiao Hua — Close friend, escape companion, and business partner. They reconcile after a three-year estrangement and support each other through pregnancy, illness, and confinement. Their friendship continues through calls and later family visits 172 173 182 185 303.
• You Xiaonian — Former financial benefactor, romantic partner, and father of her children. His refusal to accept their breakup leads to repeated abductions and confinement. They eventually reunite, but Shen’s forgiveness and motives remain unresolved 174 184 188 277 303.
• Shen Tianyi — Son with You Xiaonian. Shen keeps him under the Shen family name; he resembles his father and recognizes Qiao Hua as his godmother 282 303.
• Gu Jinyang — Godson. Shen gives him an expensive, solid-gold lock-shaped pendant shortly after his birth 210.
• Gu Wenze — Qiao Hua’s husband and an intermittent protector. He helps secure Shen’s release, shelters her, and later urges You Xiaonian to let her go for her own safety 177 178 275.
• Xia Feiyan — Betrays Shen’s trust by giving You Xiaonian the note intended for Qiao Hua, exposing her hiding place 220 221 223.
• Grandfather — His hospital expenses prompted Shen’s arrangement with You Xiaonian. His concealed death becomes a central reason for her decision to leave 173 174.
• Mother’s best friend / former wet nurse — Maternal figure who welcomes Shen and Qiao Hua into her home while they hide from their pursuers 187 188.

Notable Quotes

“From now on, we’ll raise this child together.” 182

“Then you’d better keep a close eye on me, because I’ll leave again the first chance I get.” 188

“You Xiaonian, you were only paying to keep me. Don’t act like we were boyfriend and girlfriend.” 192

Trivia

• Shen jokes about arranging a future marriage between her child and Qiao Hua’s child. Years later, after Gu Tiantian’s birth, she revives the proposal for Tianyi and Tiantian; no engagement is established 282 303.
• Her two abortion storylines have different outcomes: the first abortion is real, while the later hospital stay is part of a deception concealing her continuing pregnancy 185 282.
• Qiao Hua identifies Shen as the original novel’s second female lead. Her knowledge of that storyline informs several attempts to protect Shen, but later plot changes make Shen’s future less predictable 172 263 269 283 294.